The one thing iOS and Android have had over Windows Mobile is the number of applications they have on their respective stores. Apple’s iOS has so many different applications available for customers to choose the one they want to use. With a huge number of applications, you expect to have some that are good and a few others are bad.
Apple has always tried to deal with the unwanted applications but from time to time there are some that make their way to the App store. Some of these can be scammy or misleading apps that have no use being there. With this in mind, Apple has decided to update its developer guidelines to prohibit misleading apps altogether. Some of these apps include those claiming to perform “virus scans” on the device.
With the updated developer guidelines, Apple says that it will ban applications that claim to “include content or services that it does not actually offer.” This specifically targets apps that claim to scan and remove virus and malware from your iOS device. If you know anything about iOS, then you know that this is not possible on the operating system as iOS isolates third-party apps from each other and from the core operating system. With this in mind, you can see how misleading the virus and malware scanning apps are and how they mislead users into believing that iOS can be affected with malware or viruses the same you’re a PC does.
“Similarly, you should not market your app on the App Store or offline as including content or services that it does not actually offer (e.g. iOS-based virus and malware scanners). Egregious or repeated behavior is grounds for removal from the Developer Program,” the updated guidelines read in part.
This is not the first time Apple has removed such apps. Back in 2015, the company removed the VirusBarrier app from the App Store. When removing this app, its language wasn’t clear as it is now with the updated developer guidelines and this shows that the company is very serious this time.
If you are a developer, you should familiarize yourself with the updated guidelines to make sure your apps adhere to Apple’s policies.
Also Read: Google Play Protect Is The Perfect Addition To Deal With Malware On Android
